Work Text:
It was a day of calm. No threats in view, new orleans and his kings and queen seemed rather pacific.
The famous French painter Degas was in New Orleans. Therefore Klaus knowing of his skills had compelled him to teach you and himself, his techniques that had made him become famous in the old world. You and Klaus had been in his studio for days and produced various painting.
You had been quite mysterious about them. Although elijah knows you like to show him your creations only when they are finished he was quite surprised his brother had not shown him is. Klaus liked to have his ego filled, differently from you.
It was getting late, past dinner time, Elijah was writing his memoir in his study when he heard you and Klaus entering the compound.
You two were bickering, which was your own way of showing affection towards each others. Klaus was your best friend and you were his. You cared about each others a lot which was something Elijah adored considering his quest for his brother redemption had made you and him live with Klaus for eight centuries.
Elijah closed his book and vampire sped to the entrance wanting to greet you
‘my love. Brother. you are finally back’ he said getting down the stairs
‘husband’ you replied, you face lighting up seeing him, you had practically not seen him for a week as you and Klaus were always in degas’s studio. You had time just for some brief talks, not even feeding together, and when you got home you were always too tired to talk for more than a few minutes before falling asleep.
klaus waved at Elijah ‘brother’
Elijah took from your hand gently the painting you held covered and placed it down so he could kiss you without risking to damage it
‘I missed you’ you tell him after the kiss while klaus rolls his eyes at the scene in front of him. 800 years used to third wheeling you and elijah and still he rolled his eyes.
‘me too’ Elijah replied caressing your face and looking at you with his typical look full of love
‘your wife is a pain in the back’ said Klaus interrupting the moment as always
‘or you can’t accept defeat niki dear’ you reply to your brother-in-law as elijah places his arm around your waist, keeping you close as you lean in his touch
‘I like to dissent brother. My wife is only a sweet soul’ he says kissing your forehead ‘until she looses her patience. what did you do y/n?’ he ads tilting his head and pointing his finger at you jokinlgy accusing you.
‘oh nothing, I might be the painter of the century, who knows’ you say with a devilish smile
‘seems that y/n’s ego will only grow in the near future elijah’ Klaus adds exasperated
‘and I thought the enormous ego in the family was your’s, brother’ elijah replies laughing
‘no sense of talking with you elijah! you are clearly blinded by love’ Klaus says smirking and picking up his coat
‘where are you going niklaus’ ask elijah exasperated
‘you know schemes of world domination’ says Klaus winking at you before exiting as you send him a knowing look
‘why was he even more annoying then usual?’ asks elijah to you as you pick up the painting and start to go up the stairs of the Abatoir to your studio. Elijah as a gentlemen would help you but he knows you are first capable of lifting a painting, second quite possessive of your creations and third as himself a feminist
‘Degas said I’m a better painter than klaus’ you said walking up the stairs
‘did nikalus let him live?’ elijah laughed as he opened the door for you
‘he did but compelled him to say he was the best, while I went to the restroom, but you know supernatural hearing…’ you replied putting down the covered painting on the stand
‘classic of my brother’ replied elijah sitting on the sofa in the study, you seat down next to him as he poured to each of you a glass of liquor. Then you laid your head on his shoulder as you two drank in silence.
It was something you two often did, relaxing in the study enjoying together the few moments of peace where Klaus didn’t bring torment or where witches, vampires and werewolves didn’t want to hurt you.
‘I missed you these days. is that the painting that you were so secretive about?’ he asks as he kissed your forehead
‘me too my dear. Yes indeed it is. I promise you will understand why Klaus and I were so taken by the lessons. We had an honorable motive’
‘you are starting to sound like me’ he chuckled as you get up ‘where are you going?’ he asked questioningly
'I got something for you’ you told him as you approached your painting. He got up standing next to you, placing his hands on your hips, his chin resting on your shoulder as he hugs you from behind as you uncover the painting, eager to see your creation.
He loved your paintings and could be considered your greatest fan. Especially as you loved to paint the two of you, or figures which clearly were a reference to the both of you in romantic landscapes or situations. Moreover he loved how you explained your art to him, your technique and every detail of your painting, how your eyes lighted up at excitement of sharing your art with him
‘you always gift me so lovingly and accurate gifts for our anniversaries and I wanted for once instead to be I to gift you with something’ you tell him revealing the painting
The painting was elijah dressed in refined clothes, like he was going to a major event like a night at the opera or a gala party. He wore a hat and a stick. He looked majestic like a king or a true gentleman.
Elijah stared at the painting in silence. He was mesmerized by it and by your talent and the care you had put in it.
‘Klaus wanted to do a series of family paintings with Degas’s style, ‘as every ruling family should have’ he said. Klaus made Rebekah and me, I managed to convince him to paint his or we were going to get an idolatrized version of him. He wanted to paint you, but I said I wanted to, so he let me.’ You explained to elijah
‘but I didn’t model how did you..?’ he asked astonished
‘my dear, you think that after almost a millennium I can’t paint you without having you in front of me? I wanted to show you that I know every aspect of your handsome face as the back of my hand, I would know it even if I were blind’ you told him
Elijah looked at the painting astonished it was identical to him, and when he meant identical he meant that every curve, every part of his face, was there as if he was framed in that moment, what in a few years would be called a photo. he doubted someone would paint him better by having him in front as a model
‘’lijah? Husband say something’ you prompted him as you waited in anticipation for his judgment.
You usually did not care about what others thought of your paintings. You painted for fun and for yourself. But in this case you wanted to know what he thought about it as this was the closest thing of a love letter for you to him.
he smiled looking fondly at you as he closed the distance between you two, giving you a sweat kiss as you rested you arms around his neck
‘ It is a masterpiece and I adore it, and I love you’ he said after kissing you, his hand cupping still you face as he eyes, showing only pure adoration, scanned your features.
‘I wish I was able to show you too such extent of my love’ he chuckled sadly, as his tumb passed on your lips
‘but you do eli. you might not know how to paint me but you know my heart, my body, and my soul as the back of your hand and you prove it every day and night. You give me only love, affection and respect, always. and you know exactly where to push, where to linger your touch, when it comes to myself, my own heart and body, you know me far better than myself. so you may not know how to paint but as you know how to play the piano you know me, I’m a melody and the only one able to understand it and play it it’s you’ you told him cupping his cheek as he leaned in the touch
He kissed you again, with more fervor this time. It wasn’t easy to leave elijah mikaelson speechless but you had done it. So he tried to express all his feelings with this kiss. The passion, the love, the adoration and all the feelings he had for you, that after 800 years still were strong as ever.
‘I don’t know what to say apart from that I love you, always and forever until the end of time’ he told you when he ended the kiss for air
‘I love you too’ you replied caressing his air
You two stayed there for a bit, forehead against forehead eyes closed and in each others embrace enjoying the moment
‘why don’t we go into the bedroom so I can show you how much I know your body’ he whispered seductively after a bit
‘I could not ask for anything better’ you replied smiling widely at him
He kissed you, and as you wrapped your arms around his neck as he lift you up bringing you to your shared bedroom where he was going to show you how much he loved you and knew you.